The European Union's (EU) tariff hikes on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) violate the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO) but will not affect China's economic growth or its rising influence in the global market, said a Tajik economist.
The European Commission announced Friday that it passed a vote to impose punitive tariffs on Chinese EVs, sparking criticism from several European countries and auto industry groups who warn the move could boomerang against the EU competitiveness.
In an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Rahmon Ulmasov, a professor at the Russian-Tajik (Slavonic) University, criticized the EU's decision, which he said restricts free trade.
"Firstly, the EU's imposition of tariffs on Chinese EVs violates the WTO rules. Secondly, the development of free trade should not be constrained by any legal mandates or resolutions," he said.
"Chinese manufacturers entered the markets of Europe and the United States a long time ago, and this will continue to be the norm. The reason is simple: China has the capability to mass-produce cost-effective products that consumers want and can afford," he said.
In his view, the tariffs are rooted in shortsightedness that misplaces blame on China for European economic woes.
"Moreover, Europe is facing a shrinking labor force and severe population issues, which is leading them to shift towards the Chinese market. Therefore, the measures attempting to block Chinese goods are only temporary solutions," said Ulmasov.
Moreover, he stressed, attempts to contain the development of China's economic prowess are doomed to failure.
"Chinese investors have a wide range of investment opportunities in Africa, Central Asia, Latin America, and Southeast Asia. Therefore, even if the EU takes measures now, it will not affect China's economic growth or its growing influence in global economic development," said Ulmasov.
EU tariff hikes on Chinese EVs violate WTO rules: expert
EU tariff hikes on Chinese EVs violate WTO rules: expert
EU tariff hikes on Chinese EVs violate WTO rules: expert
China has issued a document of guidelines on promoting the construction of new-type urban infrastructure.
The guidelines, made public on Thursday, was jointly approved by the General Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council, and highlights two major goals.
By 2027, significant progress should have been made in the construction of new-type urban infrastructure, providing ever increasing support for the development of resilient cities, while a number of experience and practices that can be copied and expanded should have been established.
By 2030, the construction of new-type urban infrastructure should have achieved remarkable results, to help push forward the building of a group of high-level resilient cities, improve urban safety and resilience, and ensure safer, more orderly, smarter and more efficient urban operations.
To achieve these aims, major tasks must be fulfilled in 11 aspects, including implementing the building and upgrading of intelligent municipal infrastructure, promoting the coordinated development of smart city infrastructure and intelligent connected vehicles, and developing smart residential quarters, according to the guidelines.
In addition, there are other important tasks such as raising the intelligence level of housing and building management, carrying out digital home construction, improving city information modeling platforms, and maintaining cyber and data security.
"Currently, various types of urban disasters and safety accidents are prone to occur frequently. Proposing comprehensive advancement in building resilient cities is an important measure to address the current urban disaster risks. Meanwhile, it is also an important aspect of advancing the modernization of urban governance in our country, with significant implications for implementing the holistic approach to national security and promoting the secure development of cities," said Wang Kai, president of the Chinese Academy of Urban Planning and Design.
Experts said that cities, which serve as the main engine of China's economic and social development and play a primary role in expanding domestic demand, provide the broadest application scenarios and innovation space for new-generation information technologies such as 5G, the Internet of Things (IoT), big data, and the Industrial Internet.
"The construction of new-type urban infrastructure essentially aims to construct a new-type urban infrastructure system based on digitization, networking, and intelligence. We should firmly grasp the development trends of digitization, networking, and intelligence to enhance the level of intelligence of the entire urban infrastructure, improve our monitoring capabilities, and enhance our risk prevention and control capabilities," said Liang Feng, vice chairman of the Smart City Professional Committee of the Science and Technology Committee under the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.
China to step up construction of new-type urban infrastructure
